Senator Rubina Khalid Meets Sindh-based Journalists, Shares New Reforms And Initiatives

Chairperson Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) and Senator, Rubina Khalid, held an interactive meeting with Bureau Chiefs and reporters from Sindh deputed in Islamabad at the BISP headquarters

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Aug, 2025) Chairperson Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) and Senator, Rubina Khalid, held an interactive meeting with Bureau Chiefs and reporters from Sindh deputed in Islamabad at the BISP headquarters.

The visiting journalists congratulated her on being elected to the Senate for the third time and lauded her role in strengthening social safety nets for women and underprivileged communities.

During the meeting, Senator Rubina Khalid shared key reforms recently introduced at BISP, including the launch of a digital wallet-based payment system aimed at streamlining financial support to women beneficiaries.

She announced that starting August 13, the pilot phase of the “Sahulat Accounts” will be launched in seven major districts. Through this initiative, women will be able to receive financial assistance directly into bank accounts of their choice, enhancing convenience and transparency.

Highlighting further enhancements, she said that BISP is currently in consultations with Pakistan Post to improve access to e-payment services for beneficiaries. “Multiple payment models are being piloted across cities to identify the most efficient and user-friendly solutions,” she added.

Senator Rubina Khalid also shed light on the launch of the Benazir Hunarmand Program, inaugurated on June 21, 2025 by President Asif Ali Zardari. This program provides world-class technical and vocational training to BISP beneficiaries and their family members to promote self-reliance and employment. “This is the future of Pakistan,” she said, calling it a transformative initiative that already has nearly 10,000 registered participants, with more women than men enrolled.

She credited President Zardari for introducing progressive measures such as recognizing housewives as heads of households and making CNIC-based registration a prerequisite. “These steps have empowered millions of women and integrated them into the national database,” she noted.

Senator Rubina Khalid informed the journalists that around 10 million families are currently benefiting from BISP. Under the Benazir Nashonuma Program, the health and nutritional needs of pregnant and lactating women, as well as children under two years, are being addressed — contributing to a 6.5% reduction in national stunting rates.

Regarding education, she highlighted the Benazir Taleemi Wazaif, under which scholarships from primary to higher secondary levels are granted, conditional upon school enrollment and 70% attendance. She proudly shared success stories of students from Kohat, Multan, and Bahawalpur who secured top positions in recent matriculation exams.

The Chairperson also pointed out that Dynamic Registry Centers have replaced traditional door-to-door surveys and are now operational at the tehsil level. These centers are facilitating deserving families with free, walk-in survey services.

“There is no form, no fee — and families receiving aid for more than three years must undergo re-survey,” she clarified.

Concluding the meeting, Senator Rubina Khalid emphasized the role of media in accountability and outreach, saying: “There is always room for improvement. Media-reported complaints are taken seriously and acted upon. But above all, we must educate deserving women so they can understand and claim their rights.”